Apparatus for forming standing seams along the edges of sheet material

ABSTRACT

Powered apparatus equipped with a forward set of cooperating forming rolls disposed to engage initially overlapped portions of sheets of material such as metallic roofing, together with driving and seam finishing rolls at the rear of the apparatus disposed to engage the seam and to propel the apparatus along the seam. At least one of the rearmost resilient surfaced rolls is driven, although preferably both of the resilient surfaced rolls of the rear sets are driven.

United States Patent [111 3,610,191

[72] inventor Ralph N. Harris, Jr. 2,774,320 12/1956 Boyd 113/55 901 East 6th St., Jacksonville, Ala. 36265 3,120,828 2/1964 Griinlund 1 13/55 v [2]] Appl. No. 823,113

[22] Filed May 8, 1969 FORElGN PATENTS [45] Patented Oct. 5,1971 212,115 11/1960 Austria 113/54 899,446 6/1962 GreatBritain 113/55 Primary ExaminerRichard .l. Herbst [54] APPARATUS FOR FORMING STANDING SEAMS Attorney-Jennings, Carter & Thompson ALONG THE EDGES OF SHEET MATERIAL 2 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 113/55 [51] 1!. Cl B2111 39/02 ABSTRACT; Powered apparatus equipped with a forward set Field 01 Search l of cpope ating forming rolls disposed to engage overlapped portions of sheets of material such as metallic roofing, [56] References cued together with driving and seam finishing rolls at the rear of the UNITED STATES PATENTS apparatus disposed to engage the seam and to propel the ap- 2,338,678 l/ 1944 Wilson 72/161 paratus along the seam. At least one of the rearmost resilient 2,160,336 5/1939 Maxfield 113/55 surfaced rolls is driven, although preferably both of the 2,171,297 8/1939 Zahner et al 113/55 resilientsurfaced rolls ofthe rear sets are driven.

3 IA! E LJP I; 3 F 3 i i 39W- 1 i 1,5 i (48 Z// s 97 PATENTEDUBI I l Sum 1 OF 2 3.610.191

112 l n I 6 8 @x 7 3 a 4 Aw 3% 8 a @M W Attorneys APPARATUS FOR FORMING STANDING SEAMS ALONG THE EDGES F SHEET MATERIAL This invention relates to apparatus for forming standing seams along the edges of sheet material such as metallic roofing, siding and the like.

An object of my invention is to provide an apparatus which is self-powered and which, when properly positioned on a length of hand formed seam will propel itself along the sheets and form a double overlap, standing seam at the top of upstanding, side by side sections of the sheet of material.

Another object is to provide apparatus of the character designated in which a first or front set of metallic rolls commences the seam-forming operation and partially forms the same, together with a second set or sets of rolls, one of which is resilient surfaced and the other of which is a metallic roll, the resilient surfaced roll being driven, the seam passing between these sets of rolls, thus to complete the formation of the standing seam and to propel the apparatus along the work pieces.

Another is to provide apparatus for forming standing seams in which one roll of each set of the forward metallic rolls is mounted on a common platelike member for adjustment toward and from the cooperating rolls, and in which, similarly, the metallic rolls of each of the sets of metallic-resilient surfaced rolls are mounted on a common member for adjustment toward and from their respective cooperating rolls, these adjustments permitting the apparatus to accommodate itself to materials of different thicknesses.

A further object of my invention is to provide a standing seam forming apparatus which shall be positive in operation, which shall form the seam accurately and at a considerable linear rate per minute and which may be used to form seams in sheets of material in place on the sides of a building as well as those which are laid generally horizontally to form a roof.

Apparatus illustrating features of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical detail sectional view taken generally along line l-1ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view with certain parts broken away and in section;

FIG. 3 is a fragmental detail sectional view taken generally along line 3-3 ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a detail view taken generally along line 4-4 of FIG. 1 and illustrating one of the first steps in forming the seam;

FIG. 5 is a detail sectional view taken generally along line 5-5 of FIG. 1 and showing a further step in forming the seam;

FIG. 6 is a detail sectional view taken generally along line 6--6 of FIG. 1 and illustrating the rolls which bend the partially formed seam downwardly;

FIG. 7 is a detail sectional view taken generally along line 77 of FIG. 1 and showing a further forming of the seam;

FIG. 8 is a view taken generally along line 8-8 of FIG. 1 and illustrating the final completion of the bending of the seam; and,

FIG. 9 is an end view showing the sheets prior to forming the seam.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of my invention I illustrate the same as embodying a platelike frame 10. Conveniently, the entire apparatus may be supported on four rollers 11 one at each corner of the frame. These rollers may be adjustably mounted in the platelike frame by means of rodlilte extensions 12 which pass through suitable openings in the frame and are held in adjusted vertical relation therein by screws 13. This permits the frame to be raised and lowered to accommodate seams of different heights as will presently appear.

For the purpose of description herein I will use the expression front" to define that end of the machine which appears to the right side of FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, depending from beneath the plate frame is a longitudinally extending section 14 which conveniently may be secured to the underside of the plate by studs 16. Rotatably mounted beneath the depending portion 14 are forming rolls l7 and 18.

The plate is provided with a cutout l9, and the transverse edges thereof are provided with grooves 21. Adapted to slide transversely of the plate 10 is an adjusting plate member 22 which has ways 23 fitting in the grooves 21. At 24 is a tapped and threaded hole adapted to receive a threaded member 26 which may be in the form of an eye bolt, the inner end of which bears against a side of the plate 22, thus to move it laterally inwardly, or in other words, toward the rollers 17 and 18.

Secured to the underside of the adjusting plate 22 is a depending member 27 which has a forwardly extending section 28 secured to the forward side thereof. Mounted in a suitable bearing 29, carried by the extension 28 of member 27, is a roller 31. As best seen in FIG. 4 the roller 31 has a lower conical section 31a and an upper flanged section 31b. As will presently appear when the plate member 22 moves inwardly the roller 31 cooperates with roller 17 in forming the initial bend of the seam.

Mounted on the inner end of the member 27 is a roller rotating in a vertical plant and indicated at 32. The roller 32 may conveniently be mounted on the inner end of a threaded member 33 which passes through a suitably threaded portion 34, so that the roller 32 may be adjusted in and out. As best shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings the roller 32 engages the overhanging edge of the partially formed seam coming from rollers 31 and 17, thus to bend that portion upwardly as will be further explained.

Mounted on the inner edge of the plate 22 on a suitable bearing pin 36 is a roller 37 having a conical working face. As best shown in FIG. 6 the rollers 37 and 18 cooperate to further bend downwardly the outer end of the seam which has been formed by the preceding rolls.

Also as shown in FIG. 2, it will be seen that the plate 22 is spring biased outwardly, that is, into contact with the end of the threaded member 24 by means of a pair of small compression springs 38.

Rearwardly of the apparatus so far described the plate 10 is provided with a second cutout 39 which has grooves 41 along its transverse edges. A roller carrying plate 42 having ways 43 fitting in the grooves 41 is adapted to be moved transversely by means of a threaded member 44, similar to the member 26. Further, springs 46 bias the plate member 42 outwardly, similar to the spring 38.

Mounted on a suitable bearing pin 47 joumaled in a bearing 45 carried by the plate 42 is a metallic roll 48. As best shown in FIG. 7 the roll 48 has an upper cylindrical section 480 and a lower horizontally flanged section 48b.

Mounted beneath the underside of the plate 10 is a roller 51 adapted to cooperate with roller 48 in further forming the seam. As best shown in FIG. 7 the roller 51 has an outer working surface of resilient material 51a. This conveniently may be rubber which is vulcanized to the central, steel portion 51b making up the roll 51. It will be understood that the roller 51 is mounted on a shaft 49 and joumaled in a suitable bearing 52 which may be secured to the top of the plate, the supporting shaft passing through the plate 10.

Rearwardly of the rollers 48-51 I mount on the plate 42 in a suitable bearing 53 another steel roller 54. As best shown in FIG. 8 the roller 54 has an upper cylindrical section 540 and a lower horizontally flanged portion 54b.

Mounted on a suitable bearing shaft 56 joumaled in a bearing 60 is another roller 57. This roller 57 also has its working surface covered with a resilient material such as rubber 57a, vulcanized to the central core portion 57b forming the roll 57.

Mounted on top of the plate 10 by any suitable supporting structure is an electric motor 58 which may be of the reversible type. The motor is provided with a gear box 59 at its output end and the output shaft 61 of the gear box carries a gear 62. The gear 62 is in mesh with gears 63 and 64 secured to the shafts 49 and 56 to which the rolls 51 and 57 are secured, respectively.

From what has been described the method of constructing and using my improved apparatus may now be more fully explained and understood.

The seam to be formed is illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 8 inclusive wherein the sheets 66 and 67 are provided with side by side, upstanding portions 68. One of the sheets has a longer, overturned and downtumed end secton 69 which overlaps the shorter, horizontally turned flange 71 of the other sheet.

In starting the operation with my improved apparatus a short length of the seam, say for instance, about a foot, is formed over by a handtool. Then, the machine is set in place over this length of hand-fonned seam and by means of the members 26 and 44 the movable sets of rolls are brought into contact with the seam side. Power is now applied to the motor 58, thus driving the resilient surfaced rolls 51 and 57, propelling the apparatus along the sheets. As shown in the drawings FIGS. 4 to 8, the first operation is for the roller 31 in cooperation with roller 17 to bend flange 69 under flange 71 approximately to the position shown in FIG. 4. As the machine moves funher down the seam, roll 32 engages the partially bent secton 69 and bends it upwardly as shown in H0. 5. The conical working secton of roll 37 now engages the previously partially formed seam, bending it approximately to the position shown in FIG. 6. The rolls 48-51 further bend the seam approximately to the condition shown in FIG. 7 and the final bending takes place between rolls 54-57. It will be noted that the cylindrical proportion 48a of roll 48 is slightly smaller in diameter than the cylindrical portion 54a of roll 54. Therefore, the seam is partially completely formed between rolls 48-51 and is completely formed between rolls 54-57. Furthermore, it will be noted that the flange portions 48b and 54b lie beneath the downtumed edge of the seam. This permits my improved apparatus to be run up a vertical wall inasmuch as the machine itself is locked to the seam by this means.

I have found it to be essential that the rolls and 57 have working surfaces of resilient material such as rubber. This is required both for traction purposes and for final forming of the seam without cracking the material being worked upon or destroying its finish.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus for forming a standing seam along the edges of sheets such as metal roofing in which the edges initially have upstanding side by side sections with overlapping laterally directed portions at the upper edges of the upstanding sections,

a. a frame,

b. metallic rolls on the frame disposed to engage the overlapped portions of the sheets and bend the edge of one of the overlapped portions under the other,

c. other metallic rolls disposed to engage the partially formed seam resulting from the operation set forth in (b above and to further bend the portions downwardly,

. a first pair of rolls one of which has a working surface of resilient material such as rubber disposed to engage between them the partially formed seam resulting from the operations set forth in (b) and c. above and to bend the same further downwardly,

e. a second pair of cooperating rolls one of which is resilient surfaced and located to operate on the partially formed seam resulting from all the foregoing bending operations to bend the same downwardly to lie alongside the upstanding sections of the sheet, and

f. means positively to drive the resilient surfaced rolls defined in (d) and (e) above.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which the means to drive both of said resilient surfaced rolls is a powered gear, and a gear in driving relation with each of said resilient surfaced rolls and in mesh with the powered gear. 

1. In apparatus for forming a standing seam along the edges of sheets such as metal roofing in which the edges initially have upstanding side by side sections with overlapping laterally directed portions at the upper edges of the upstanding secTions, a. a frame, b. metallic rolls on the frame disposed to engage the overlapped portions of the sheets and bend the edge of one of the overlapped portions under the other, c. other metallic rolls disposed to engage the partially formed seam resulting from the operation set forth in (b ) above and to further bend the portions downwardly, d. a first pair of rolls one of which has a working surface of resilient material such as rubber disposed to engage between them the partially formed seam resulting from the operations set forth in (b) and c. above and to bend the same further downwardly, e. a second pair of cooperating rolls one of which is resilient surfaced and located to operate on the partially formed seam resulting from all the foregoing bending operations to bend the same downwardly to lie alongside the upstanding sections of the sheet, and f. means positively to drive the resilient surfaced rolls defined in (d) and (e) above.
 2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which the means to drive both of said resilient surfaced rolls is a powered gear, and a gear in driving relation with each of said resilient surfaced rolls and in mesh with the powered gear. 